


Gentle Hands

by HighlyOpinionatedNerd



Category: One Piece
Genre: I just really like platonic crew interactions ok, I-Don't-Like-Admitting-I-Have-Feelings Zoro, Just the East Blue crew in this one, so y'know, that's all this is about, the usual, touch starved Zoro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 01:57:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15329166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HighlyOpinionatedNerd/pseuds/HighlyOpinionatedNerd
Summary: "I'm not used to peopletouchingme."





	Gentle Hands

By the time Sanji joins them, they have a pretty solid routine in place. It’s a simple cycle of getting up in the morning and going back to sleep at night. There’s not much else to do when they’re at sea, really.

But Zoro’s routine is a little different. His nights are most often restless, spent between the edge of sleep and wakefulness. He has to stay alert, the little voice in the back of his head warns. If danger strikes in the middle of the night, someone has to be ready. Someone has to protect the crew. Only once the others are awake for the day can he ever really relax. He sleeps the days away, trusting them to wake him if something happens.

Sometimes the seafaring routine is interrupted by a trip to land. And although land most often brings a welcome change of pace, it also almost always brings conflict. Not that Zoro really cares- he goes where his captain goes, he points his swords at whoever threatens his crew. He fights and, usually, he wins. Sometimes the fights are hard, and he walks away bloody and battered. Sometimes he loses. But he learns from those injuries and those losses, and he trains harder, and he gets better.

And then the routine continues.

 

They take turns doing the dishes. It’s a part of the routine that’s left over from before Sanji joined them. He says he’d be happy to handle it himself, but the rest of them agree that that wouldn’t really be fair. Can’t make him do _all_ the work.

On this particular night, Zoro is washing the plates in the soapy sink water and Nami is drying them with a clean cloth.

“When will we reach the next island?” he asks, just to make small talk.

“Soon,” she answers. “Probably within two or three days, if this weather keeps up.”

“That is soon.”

“Yep. It’ll be a good chance to replenish our supplies.”

He holds out the latest clean plate, and she reaches out to take it from him. As she does, her fingers briefly brush across his, making him jump a little.

She doesn’t notice, though. “Maybe, if there’s a large town, we can find some good bargains. I’ve been thinking about getting some new clothes. We have the money. What do you think?”

“Sounds good,” he says, pretending nothing happened. “I could do with some new underwear.”

“Delicate and tactful as always,” she says sarcastically.

“What? It’s the truth.”

“Don’t worry, Zoro,” she says, casually nudging his arm with her elbow, “I haven’t given up on teaching you manners. I’ll make a gentleman out of you yet, you just watch me.”

“Uh, yeah. Sure.” Zoro hands her another plate, being careful not to touch her this time. “I’ll...I’m just gonna go ahead and start on the table now.”

Nami frowns at him as he turns quickly away, grabbing a wet rag to wipe the tabletop clean with. “You ok over there?”

“I’m fine,” he says. He doesn’t look at her.

“Hey, come on.” She sets the half-dried plate aside, reaches out to put a hand on his shoulder. “If it’s about what I said, I was just kidding.”

“I said I’m fine,” he mutters, shrinking away from her touch.

She blinks, watching him with concern, and redoubles her effort to get her hand on his shoulder, to get him to look her in the face.

“Zoro, tell me. Whatever it is, please, just tell me.”

“It’s nothing, Nami.”

“Bullshit. Look, I’m sorry, ok, I didn’t mean to be insulting. I swear, I never meant to actually hurt your feelings, so-”

“You didn’t hurt my feelings,” he says, exasperated.

“Then what? What is it?”

“I just...just...I’m not used to people _touching_ me.”

They stand there in silence for a moment. Zoro steals a quick glance at Nami’s face- she still looks concerned.

After a moment, she removes her hand from his shoulder. “Sorry,” she says quietly. “I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable.”

“I know. Listen, don’t worry about it, it’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, Zoro! It’s important!”

“It’s really not. Forget I said anything, ok? Just...forget it.”

 

The next morning he stumbles into the galley as soon as he’s awake enough. Everyone else is already in there eating breakfast, which is not unusual.

What _is_ unusual is when Luffy gets up from the table and launches himself at Zoro as soon as he sets his eyes on him.

“Uh…”

“Zoro,” Usopp asks tentatively, “are you...ok? Are you good?”

Nami’s told them, he realizes. He glares at her, but she just shrugs and takes a sip of her morning tea.

“I’m fine. Get off me, Luffy.”

“No,” Luffy says, his voice muffled against Zoro’s chest, and only hugs him tighter.

“Why didn’t you ever say anything about this before? We could have helped.”

“See, Zoro, I told you this was important.”

“You’re all overreacting. Luffy, get _off_ me.”

“No!”

“Why don’t you sit down and, I guess, let us try to help?”

“I don’t need help!” Zoro finally manages to pry out of Luffy’s grip and pushes him away. “I told Nami yesterday, and I’m telling you all now, I’m _fine_. I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of it, because there’s _nothing_ to worry about. _I’m fine_.”

He’s shouting. He stops and closes his eyes, taking a deep breath and willing himself to calm down.

Someone walks over and grabs his wrist, making him flinch and reflexively try to break away. But they don’t let go.

He opens his eyes and Sanji stares back at him, still gripping his wrist tightly. “Calm down,” he says. “We’re just trying to help.”

“I don’t need your pity,” Zoro says, and he’s not sure if the ragged way his voice comes out sounding is better than shouting at his crew or not.

Sanji shakes his head. “You’re a lot of things Zoro...but never pitiful. Never.”

“I should have noticed,” Luffy mutters miserably. “I’m the captain, I should have at least noticed you were struggling with this…”

“No, Luffy,” Zoro says quickly. “It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault. It’s just...something I have to deal with every now and then.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Nami snaps, banging a fist on the table. “You go out there and get beat up for the sake of keeping us safe all the time. You should never have to deal with something like this.”

“Especially not while you have us,” Usopp agrees.

“Oh,” Zoro says. He doesn’t know what else to say. He’s not the most articulate person, really. If he had known how to find the words to address this problem- whatever this problem even is- in the first place, none of this would have happened.

“I’m sorry,” he eventually settles on. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. And I should have said something, before. Sorry.”

Luffy hesitantly takes a step towards Zoro once again, and then, when Zoro doesn’t move to push him away again, he reaches out to hug him again.

“Is this ok?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Zoro says, awkwardly returning Luffy’s hug with his free arm. “Yeah, it’s fine.”

Sanji smiles and lets go of Zoro’s wrist, puts his arm around Zoro’s shoulders instead. “Don’t worry, Marimo, we’ll have you over your fear of touching people in no time.”

Nami and Usopp hastily get up from the table and pile onto the group hug, flanking Zoro from all sides.

“Still ok?”

“Yes,” Zoro says, even though he’s starting to get weirded out. “Thanks, you guys. I appreciate it.”

“No problem.”

“Ok, not to ruin the mood or anything, but are there anymore sandwiches? I’m _starving_.”

“I’ve got more sandwiches, sure. Everyone sit down and I’ll have them out right away. Any other requests?”

“Beer,” says Zoro flatly, and he’s only half kidding.

“Nice try, Marimo. Orange juice it is, then.”

 

From that day on, there’s a change in the routine. It’s small, barely noticeable if you didn’t know to look for it, but it’s there.

Around the ship, the crew’s hands linger on each other’s shoulders and backs. Their arms rub against their neighbors’ at mealtimes. They jab each other in the ribs with elbows or kick each other in the shins, for no reason at all. They get used to using touch to convey reassurance, comfort, and solidarity, among a range of other emotions.

There’s a power in being gentle that Zoro has never experienced before. His rough, calloused, swordsman’s hands are clumsy with it at first. But he keeps trying. He lets the others touch him and he learns from the way they do it. Soft, careful, friendly. He does his best to reciprocate how they do it.

And the routine continues on.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is kind of silly and more than a little out of character but...listen, I crave interactions like this...I couldn't stop thinking about it and I felt like I had to write it. After all, they say you should create the content you wish to see in the fandom ; )
> 
> Also may I just say that the only reason this had to escalate into a whole dramatic teenage episode is because Robin wasn't part of the crew yet. If she had been, she would have picked up on Zoro's touch sensitivity right away, and done something about it immediately. That being said, I'm sure that as more people join the crew they continue to do things like this. It's also a big help to Chopper and Brook, who otherwise don't get a lot of human interaction themselves, albeit for different reasons. Thanks for reading!


End file.
